Welting and method of making the same



Jan. 1 7, 1928. 1,656,564

" I H. LYON WELTING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 30, 1924 3 lg?! I I I i ii a /7 J w w J @wa, /W l I @w Ragantad 1.... 11, 1928.

U ITED STATES PATENT] Orr-"res,-

HARRY LYON, OI BBOCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN A. BARIBOUB, DI

BROOKIJINE, MASSACHUSETTS, CHUBETTS, A COPARTNEBSHI? DOING AND P nanny E. BARBOUR, or eumoy, MASSA- 7 BUSINESS UNDER Tm: wnmme COMPANY, AT nnocxron, unssnonnsmrcrs. 4

NAME 0]" HARBOUR wnL'rme Lawn-Malinda or naxme 'mrm sum. Application as ranw l rso, 1924. Serial m. 689,415.

This invention relates to welting and to be in an the manufacture thereof and more particularly, although not necessarily, to welting for use in the manufacture of Goodyear welt boots and shoes.

Certain styles of Goodyear welt shoes are provided wit-h a ribbed or two deck welt which gives an appearance of strength and -which, for some years. has been made in imitation of the original cork-sole welt which was applied in the crease to insure a water-tight inseam. 'These imitation corksole welts present a shoulder above the grain face of the ordinary Goodyear welt that is formed by a longitudinal strip of folded pliable material such as thin upper leather enveloping a core or wale that, in the cheaper and more numerous imitations, is merely a separate strand of twisted paper that is fed into position during the folding process. This shoulder provides a rib fittingin the crease throughout the fore part of the shoe and is called the top-deck. Many disadvantages arise from this kind of shoemaking among which are the production of merely an imitation water-tight inseam, and the fact that the flimsy character of the core in no way insures that the shoe will hold its shape under the hard usage and strains of continued wear.

One object of the present invention is to improve the manufacture of shoes of the style described by providing a welting of the ribbed or two-deck typethat will more efficiently serve its purpose as a finish at the crease and secondarily as a seal for the inseam.

Accordingly, a significant feature of the invention is found in the manner in which the rib or head of the present invention is constructed. In order that the rib may function as a sturdy shoulder or crease filler the welt is so constructed that the core or Wale which produces the rib is attached to the enveloping material which forms the eventual shoulder. Thus the core and cover form an all-in-one-piece article that can be handled as a unit prior to the step of folding to envelop the core and produce the shoulder formation which lies in or at the crease from toe to heel. The securement of the core to the enveloping material may when folded into convenient or desired manner but preferab although not essentially, the core is an integral part of the material which forms the body portion of'the welt. When the core and the welt body are both of material of substantial strength and the core 1n1t1ally is secured to its envelope, then, position and positioned at the crease by the inseaming operation, superior shoemaking and an enhanced style effect is attained as those skilled in the art will at once reco ize.

There is a furt er highly important function attributable to the particular construction of thepreferred form of this invention.

The rib is so sturdy and strong that, by

reinforcing the inseam, it prevents the shoe from treading over and becoming distorted which may result in injur to .the foot. Briefly, it olds the shoe during wear in the original shape that the manufacturer so carefully designed, a desideratum lon sought by shoemakers because -longer fife and greater comfort is attained.

It has hereinbefore been proposed to form a rib or head as an integral part of the welt, as disclosed in United States Patent No. 9 97, 350 granted to Warren B. White, dated July 11, 1911. As shown in this patent the head is formed by partly splitting a thin layer of the welt stock from the grain side of the welt along its inner edge and then folding the split layer upon itself. Welting is now commonly made in continuous lengths by scarfing the ends of the lengths as cut from the hides and overlapping and cementing these scarfed portions to unite these relatively short lengths end to end. If it be attempted to form up welting such as disclosed by the White patent, into continuous strips by scarfing and cementing, the scarfs in the thin layer portion of which the bead is composed are so short that insufi'icient overlap of the parts is presented for effectual securement and the oints do not hold.

The present invention, in another of its aspects, provides, in its preferred construction wherein the bead is formed integrally with the welt strip, sufiiciently strong joints between the ends of the rib or bead strips on the individual pieces of material, to permit these pieces being successfully joined by scarfing and cementing in the usua manner. This may be accomplished by formin a core or wale from tie welt body itself of suflicient thickness to provide a proper joint when scarfed and cemented, this core being surfaced or enveloped by a thin la er partly cut from the grain side of the we t body so as to present a surface like that of the adj acent welt body.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention in which Fi re 1 is a lateral cross section through the ore-part of a welt shoe having a welt constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective of a portion of a strip of welting showing a, joint between ad'acent pieces of stock;

igure 3 is a similar view showing the welting cut pre aratory to forming up the shoulder or head Fi re 4 is a perspective showing the bead forming portion bent away from the remainder ofthe welt strip preparatory to rolling it into shoulder or bead form.

Fi re 5 is a cross section showing the shou der or bead-formingfloperation com menced. l ligure 6 is a similar view of the completed we t.

Fi re 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showmg a slight modification.

Figure 8 is a view similar to a portion of Figure 1, but to a larger scale, and showing the same modification as Figure 7.

Fi re 9 is a cross section illustrating a modification in the cutting of the strip of welting.

Figure 10 is a cross section of the welt formed from welting cut as in Figure 9.

In the embodiment of the invention illus trated in detail by Figs. 2 to 6 of the drawing substantially rectangular strips of welting 1 are cut from the hide and united end to end by scarfing the ends of the strips in mating relation and overlapping the scarfed portions of adjacent strips and cementing them in position, such a scarfed joint being indicated at 2. If desired the strand thus produced ma be grooved on its lower face as at 3 to orm the usual inseam stitchreceiving oove. Next the strand is cut in from its esh side or lower face diagonally and part way through as shown at 4 in Figure 3, this cut on this face being parallel and adjacent to its inner edge and inclined toward this edge. At the upper extremity of this cut or incision 4, the strand is incised at 5 parallel to its grain side or upper face toward its outer edge 6. The incisions 4 and 5 extend lengthwise throughout the entire strand, no attention whatever being paid to the scarfed joints betiall rectangular cross section, althou h it mig t be otherwise shaped if desired. hese unitary cut portions are then bent upwardly disengaging the narrow rib 8 from the edge of the o y portion, this being shown 1n Figure 4. The narrow rib 8 is then rolled against the inner face of the flange 7 and cemented into contact therewith as shown in Figure 5 and this rolling is continued in a direction toward the attached edge 9 of the flan e 7 forming a core or wale from the rib 8 w ich is enwrapped or enveloped by the flange 7. Finally the lower flat edge 10 of the rib 8 is brought down against the upper surface 11 of the body portion as presented by the incision 5 this bemg shown 1n Figure 6. Thus the rib 8 furnishes a solid core which is surfaced by the flange portion 7 and forms a shoulde rising above the grain side of the welt bo y. As this flan e portion is cut from the grain side of t e welt the'grain is retained over its entire upper or e osed surface, thus presenting the same finished appearance as the uncut upper face of the welt at 12. The outer margin of the grain or upper face of the welt thus presents a fiat lower deck or outer surface and inwardly of this surface it is shouldered by being arched over the core strip 8. The acute angle edge 14 formed on the core strip 8 by this incision may be pressed into rounded form when this core strip is rolled within the flan e portion so that it will have no material effect on the upper contour of the rib.

It will thus be seen that the rib is formed with a core strip of substantially the full thickness of the welt blank and of flexible material which furnishes a sufficient overlap at the scarfed 'oints to insure a proper joint, this overlap sing the same in extent as that for the main body portion of the welt. The flange portion 7 being cemented to this core, it derives the full advantage of the joint in the core and hence welting made inthis manner may be made in continuous lengths of sufficient strength and flexibility to be used in the same manner as the usual form of continuous welting.

This finished welt is attached in'position on the shoe as indicated at w in Figure 1 in the usual manner, the bead B formed from the flange 7 and the core piece wrapped therein resting closely in the crease between the upper U and the upper face of the sole as indicated in Figure 1. If desired, the bead may be stitched to the body of the welt by means of a line of stitching 15 extending through the inner wall of the bead as shown emon in Figure 7 and through the lower face of the welt preferably back of the stitch receiving groove 3. Where the line of stitching 15 is employed it extends in relation to the inseam stitches 16 of the shoe in the manner indicated in Figure 8. In the embodiment just described the outer edge portion of the weltis of the full thickness of the ori inal welting while the inner portion wit in the bead is of less thickness since the flange portion 7 has been cut from the upper face thereof. The upper face of this inner portion, however, is not exposed in the finished shoe and it is therefore not material that it does not present the grain side of the leather. The outer sole 17 is attached to the welt in the usual manner by the outsole stitching 18.

Figures 9 and '10 illustrate a modified but {gt t e preferred construction. In this emdiment the thin core enveloping strip or flange 7-is extended beyond the outer edge of the core or rib 8 as shown at 20 this extension being formed by completely severing a piece 21 of rectangular section from the inner edge of the body. The core or wale 8 thus forms a narrow rib constituting a marked protuberance on the face of the strip 7, to which it is secured, and extending lon itudinally of said stri intermediate its ongitudinal edges. W en the welt of this embodiment is completely formed up, as shown in Figure 10, the thin extension 20 rests on the cut face 11 at the inner edge of theshoulder formation where it is cemented. The inseam stitches of the shoe pass through this extension 20 as shown dotted at 22 in Figure 10 thus serving to retain the bead formed up without requiring a separate line of stitching as shown at 15 in Figure 7 for this purpose.

It will be observed that in each of the illustrated forms of the welt that the core or Wale formed b the rib 8 is attached to the enveloping thin strip or flange 7 before the core is enwrapped by said strip to rovide a rib, bead, shoulder or upper deck on the grain side of the welt body that eventually is stitched to the outsole. This is a material advance in the maufacture of welting of the ribbed or two-deck type because the rib, bead or shoulder portion of the welt may be handled as a unitary article, i. e. it is, before folding, all-in-one-piece, obviating the separate handling of the core piece during its manufacture.

I believe that I am the first to conceive, in the manufacture of welting of the type described, of the advantage of having the narrow, protruding core or Wale secured to the material to be wrapped about it prior to the folding, Wrapping or core-enveloping operation. I also believe that I am the first to roduce a rib, bead or shoulder that is suflihiently strong and sturdy to maintain its shape and position and continuously present the same a pearance until the shoe in which it isem led is discarded.

Having thus describedthe preferred em- I bodiments of this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might bemade therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A welt having an integral flange and a core strip thicker than said flange lncised from the body ortion thereof and bent to form a head to lie in the crease between the sole and up r of a shoe.

2. A welt aving a flange and a core strip of greater thickness than said flan e and integral therewith incised from the ody portion thereof, said core stri being rolled within said flange and forming therewith a bezid projecting from the upper face of the we t.

3. A welt having a flange and a corestrip of greater thickness than said flange and integral with said flange incised lon itudinally from the body portion thereo said core strip being rolled within said flange to form a longitudinal bead projectin from the upper face of the welt between its side edges and presenting the finished surface of the upper welt face.

4. A welt having a flange and a core strip of greater thickness than said flange and integral therewith incised longitudinally from the body portion thereof, said core strip being rolled within and cemented to said flange to form a longitudinal bead projecting from the upper face of the welt between its side ed es and presenting the finished surface of t e upper welt face.

5. A welt comprising a strip incised adjacent to one edge longitudinally partly through the thickness thereof and also parallel to the face of the strip toward the opposite edge to form a flange, having a narrow strip longitudinally of its free edge portion integral with the body portion of the welt strip, said narrow strip being rolled within said flange and cemented thereto and to the exposed face of the welt along said parallel incision to form a bead extending longitudinally of the welt along one face thereof between its side edges.

6. A welt comprising a strip incised adjacent to one edge longitudinally partly through the thickness thereof and also parallel to the face of the strip toward the opposite edge to form a flange, having a narrow strip longitudinally of its free edge portion, integral with the body portion of the welt strip, said narrow strip being rolled within said flange cut from the body stock and to form a bead extending longitudinally of the welt along one face thereof between its side edges, and a line of stitchingfixing the bead to the body portion of said strip,-

7.A welt comprising a blank strip rectangular in cross section incised adjacent to one edge partly through the thickness thereof from its lower face diagonally toward its upper face and also parallel to the upper face inwardly from said edge to form a flange having a narrow, protruding strip integral with -its free edge portion, said narrow stri being rolled within said flange and secure allel incision to form a bead extending longitudinally of thewelt strip between its side tangular in cross section incised adjacent to one edge diagonally partly through the thickness thereof from its lower face and also parallel to the upper face inwardly from said edge to form a flange having a narrow, protruding strip integral with its free edge portion, said narrow strip being rolled within said flange to forma bead extending longitudinally of the welt strip between its side edges on its upper face and presentin the finished surface of said upper face throughout its exposed surface, said diagonal incision forming a beveled edge for the finished welt, and stitching extending diagonally through the inner edge of said bead and the'lower face of the welt strip.

9. A welt havin a bead extending along one face, said bea comprising a core strip integral with the body of the welt and a cover therefor thinner than said core strip.

10. A welt having a bead extending lengthwise thereof along one face between its side edges, said head comprising a core strip integral with the body of the welt and a cover therefor thinner than said core strip, the body portion of the welt being thinner on one side of said bead than on the other.

11. A welt having a bead extending lengthwise thereof along one face between its side edges, said head comprising a core strip integral with the body of the welt and a cover therefor thinner than the said core strip, the body ortion of the welt being thinner on one si e of said bead than on the other by an amount equal to the thickness of said cover.

12. A welt comprising a body portion of leather having a longitudinal bead projecting from the grain side thereof comprising a core integral with said body portion and a cover over said core of less thickness than said core and formed from a la or partly severed from the grain side of sai body portherein and to the face of thewelt ortion beneath presented by said parwardlfiqpresented.

13. e method of making a welt which comprises cutting inwardly from the one face of a welt stri adjacent to one ed e longitudinall of t e strip and from the inner edge 0 said out parallel to the opposite face of said strip toward its opposite edge, thus forming a flan e integral with the body of the strip and fiaving a narrow strig longitudinally of its free edge portion, ben ing the cut portions from the remainder of the strip, rollin said narrow strip portion under toward t e unsevered edge of said flange to wrap said flange therearound, and fixing the bead thus formed to the face of the body portion of said strip presented by said parallel cut.

14. The method of making a welt which comprises cuttin a welt strip longitudinally to form a thin flange portion united to the remainder of the strip along one edge, and having a core strip thicker than said flan e portion extending longitudinally thereo partly wrapping said core in said flange, and securing said core and flange to the remainder of said strip to form a bead extending longitudinally from one face thereof.

15. A welt comprising a body portion, and a bead extending along one face thereof, said bead comprising a solid core consisting of a strip of flexible material polygonal in cross-section havin one flat face resting on the upper face 0 said body portion and another flat face rising therefrom, and a cover overlying said core strip. 7

16. A welting comprising a welt bod a flap cut therefrom, a strip having a po ygonal cross section inserted beneath said flap, the free edge portion of the flap extending beyond said strip along the welt body substantially to the side edge thereof whereby to permit marginal stitches through the welt to pass through the free edge portion of said flap and secure it.

17 A shoe comprising an insole, an upper, a welting comprising a welt body having a flap cut from the upper portion thereof, a strip inserted between said welt body and the flap, said strip acting through the flap to present a substantially straight wall approximately arallel to and against the up r when the we ting is put in place, said tlii p having an elongated free edge portion extending along the body part of the welt, and inseam stitches passing through said insole, upper, welt body and the flap.

18. In a welt for boots and shoes of the ribbed or two-deck type, a top deck comprising a strip of relatively thin material, characterized by a narrow longitudinal core or wale secured to said strip said core constituting a marked protuberance on one face of said strip which, when the strip is folded smoothly about it, produces a thickness in Ill) the strip providinga longitudinal shoulder.

19. In a welt for boots and shoes a shoulder formation extending longitudinally thereof and adapted to lie within the outer ed e of the welt body comprising a pliable strip of material having an attached longitudmal core or wale projecting from its mner 'surface, forming a unitary structure adapted to be folded so as to encase said core and provide a thickened portion.

20. In a welt for boots and shoes a shoulder formation extending longitudinally thereof andadapted to lie' within the outer edge of the welt body comprising a pliable strip of material having an attached longitudmal core or wale projecting from its 1nner surface intermediate its longitudinal edges, whereby when the strip is folded the core provides a thickened portion with an adjacent margin overlying the welt body at its inner edge.

21. Welting for boots and shoes of the ribbed or tw0-deck type characterized by a lower deck and a top deck having its outer edge spaced inward from the outer edge of the lower deck, said top deck consisting of a strip of pliable material having a narrow longitudinal core or wale secured thereto and said core protruding a sufficient distance from the inner face of said strip to present a shoulder above the lower deck when said strip is folded smoothly about the core.

22. Welting for boots and shoes of the ribbed type characterized by a longitudinal shoulder spaced from the outer edge of the welt body and formed by a strip of pliable material having a longitudinal core or wale secured to and protruding from its inner surface that is large enough to present, upon folding the strip about it, a portion that is sufficiently thick to produce said shoulder.

23. The method of making shoulders for ribbed welting for boots and shoes which comprises producing a strip from pliable material with a narrow, projecting core or wale on one face, and then folding said strip about said core to thicken the strip.

24. The method of making welting for boots and shoes which includes the steps of producing a thin strip of material having an attached core or wale on one face, of substantial thickness and extending longitudinally thereof, and folding said stri in a manner to enclose said core and orm a shoulder.

25. Welting, or the like, comprising a strip of leather having an upper convex surface formed by a thin flange of the grain side of the strip, said flange being supported by a core or wale within said flange, said core being an integral portion of the leather strip.

26. The method of making welting, or the like, comprising cutting a stri of leather longitudinally to form a thin' an e at the gram side with a narrow core or we e of substantial thickness left integral therewith, then folding the core inward beneath the flange in such manner that the flange forms a covering therefor, and a plying cement to the contacting surfaces'be ore folding.

27. The method of making welting, or the like, comprising cutting a strip of leather 7 in a longitudinally to form a th nge at the grain side with a narrow core or wale of substantial thickness left integral therewith, and so located laterally of the flange that a portion thereof extends from each side of said core, then folding the flange and rolling the core inward until the core is covered by the flange, and securing said flange in said position about the core.

28. lVelting comprising a leather body with grain and flesh sides and having a bead extending along its grain side, said bead comprising a core strip and an attached surfacing, said core and surfacing therefor being cut respectively from the flesh stock and the grain stock of said leather body.

29. VVelting comprising a body having a bead extending along one face thereof, said head comprising a surfacing of face material partially severed from said body and a core strip integral with said surfacing.

30. A welt strip having an integral flange and a core strip thicker than said flange incised from the body portion thereof, said flange and core strip being adapted to be bent to form a head to lie at the welt crease of a shoe.

31. A welt strip having a flange with a protruding core strip integral with said flange incised longitudinally from the body portion thereof, said flange being sufficiently pliable to be folded about the core to form a bead on the flanged face of the strip.

32. A'welt strip for beaded welting having a flange partially severed from one face thereof, said flange having a narrow core projecting from its inner face, and said oore being adjacent to the free edge portion of said flange and foldable within the flange to form a projecting head.

33. The method of making a welt strip for forming beaded welting which comprises cutting longitudinally part way through said welt strip from its lower face adjacent to its inner edge and from the inner end of said cut toward the outer edge of said welt strip and sufliciently near the upper face thereof to form a pliableflange having a narrow core strip adjacent its free edge portion integral with the body of the welt strip.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

' HARRY LYON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent N0. 1,656, 564. Granted in... 11, ms, to

HARRY LYON.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 128-1!!! 129, claim 6, strike out the words "cut from the body stock and"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of February, A. 'D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

